Clamp



A. J. THOMSON Dec. 13 1923.

CLAMP Filed June 18 Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

stars ares ALFRED J'. THOMSON, OF CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLAZMP.

Application filed June 18, 1923. Serial No. 648,060.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. THoMsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Canton, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clamps and particularly to devices of this character adapted for supporting wet hides upon endless chains in driers.

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive clamp which will securely hold the hide without injury to any part thereof.

The invention consists of a slotted member having a lever pivoted thereto with an arm extending through said slot and limited so in its movement about said pivot in either direction, said lever coacting with a flange on said member to clamp a part of a hide inserted in said slot.

The invention further consists of certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be readily understood reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims to be herein after given.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred form thereof is shown in the drawings, this form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results although it is to be understood that so the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and the invention is not li1nited to the precise arrangement and organization. of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described, except as required by the scope of the appended claims.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a clamp embodying the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the same, and

Figure 3 represe the same.

Simliar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a plate adapted to be secured by nails 11, 11 to a cross bar 12 of a drier of any well known construction.

In the lower end of the plate 10 is an ts an inverted plan of open-ended slot 13, the upper end of which is curved as indicated at 14 toward one edge 15 of the plate 10.

Extending from one face of the plate 10 adjacent to the edge of the slot 13 furthest from the edge 15 is a lateral flange 16. Near the bottom of the plate 10 and adjacent to the edge 15 is a pivot 17 on which is mounted a lever 18, said lever being on a face of the plate 10 opposite to the flange 16.

The lever 18 is provided with a lateral extension 19 positioned in the slot 13, said extension projecting considerably beyond the edge of the flange 16 and being curved toward the edge 15, as indicated at 20 in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Normally, the lever 18 is inclined upwardly from the pivot 1.7 with the extension 19 contacting with the face of the flange 16.

When it is desired to support a wet hide, a portion of the hide is forced into the slot 13 against the face of the flange 16. In doing this, the lever 18 will be moved up wardly about its pivot, allowing the hide to enter between the extension 19 and the flange 16.

l/Vhen the edge of the wet hide has reached a point slightly above the extension 19, the edge of said hide will fall from the curved extension 19 so that when the operator releases hold upon the hide, the weight of the hide acting upon the lever 18 will move said lever 18 downwardly and firmly clamp the hide between the extension 19 and the flange 16.

It is obvious, that owing to the inclination of the lever 18, the grip upon the hide will be increased according to its weight.

The clamp is adapted particularly for use in driers in which are mounted endless movable chains connected by a plurality of cross bars 12 and on-which the wet hides are'suspended while passing through the drier.

Heretofore, the hides have been secured to the cross bars by nails or other instrumentalities which puncture the hide and in jure the same. This is objectionable, and it is obviously desirable to overcome this objection and provide a clamp which will securely hold the hides in position without injury to any portion thereof.

This is accomplished in applicants device by gripping the opposite sides of the wet hide between the flat faces of the flange 16 and the extension 19.

The lever 18 is normally in an inclined position so that the extension 19 thereof can never pass downwardly .l'lroin the slot 13.

tor pressing upwardly on the under edge of the curved end 20 of the extension 19.

This ini'alros a ver-y simple device which may be manufactured at a niini-inu-ni cost but which is-ver-y effectual n itsoperation, making it possible to quickly support the hides on the cross bars 12 of the drier with out using any instriunentaliities which would in any degree injure any portion of the hide.

lt is believedthat the operation and many advantages of the invention will be understood readily without further description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: r

1. A plate'h-a'ving an open-endedslot in, its lower end provided at one edge with a flange extending-horn one face'of said plate;

and a lever pivoted to the o1, said plate and having'a flat-faced extension projecting through said slot and adapted to ooact with said flange.

'2. A plate iii-Wingan open-ended slot in its lower end provided at one edge with a flange perpendicular to one face of said plate ;v and a lever pivoted to said plate and provided with an extension through said slot and curved away from said ipos'ite face of 3. A. plate having an open en ded slot in its lower end provided 'at one edge with aflange extending laterally from one face of said plate, said slot having its upper end curved away from "said flange; and a lever pivoted to said plate on the opposite side of said slot and having extension project ing throughisaid slot with its free end curved 4 away from said flange.

Signed by me at 746 Old South Bldg, Boston, Mass, this 16th day of Jltne, 1923. I V ALFRED J. THOMSON.

Witnesses WALTER E. LoMBARn, NATHAN C. LOMBARD.

projecting 35 

